


nox aurumque et lux aurumque (The Golden Night and the Golden Light)

by arrum_rose



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Dark Rey (Star Wars), Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Force Bond (Star Wars), HISTORICAL INACCURACIES ABOUND, I promise it's not as dumb as they made him in the movie that shall not be named, Magical Bond, Magical Creatures, Minor Armitage Hux/Rose Tico, Minor Poe Dameron/Finn, Multi, On Hiatus For Now, POV Alternating, Prince Ben Solo, Rey is Not a Palpatine, So therefore, Soft Ben Solo, Swordfighting, bb-8 is a magical goat, but it's fantasy so it's allowed, but rey and ben don't know theyre enemies yet, except its a magical bond, im bad at tags, inspired by a song, maz kanata the oracle, minor phasma/dopheld mitaka, palpatine is abusive, palpatine is dead but only sort of, poe sees things, rating may be for something other than violence eventually but idk yet, rey is a sorceress, snoke is a dragon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:07:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23953546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arrum_rose/pseuds/arrum_rose
Summary: When he finally opened his eyes, they were met with the most gorgeous creature he had ever seen. She seemed to be glowing, which was fitting considering Ben thought she was an angel.She stared back at him with a similar expression of wonder, until finally she cleared her throat and demanded his attention. He blinked at her slowly, still trying to process everything that had just happened.The strange, beautiful creature in front of him crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him with a suspicious glint in her eyes. “Who are you?”Then, without warning and before he could answer her, she disappeared without a trace.Ben Organa Solo, the crown prince of Alderaan, has discovered that he has been chosen to save the seven kingdoms from a great evil lurking in the shadows. He is now tasked with unlocking his magic, journeying to find the evil that has been hiding away and tormenting the realm for centuries, and ultimately bringing balance back to the kingdoms. His quest is daunting, but at least he has his four closest friends to help him along the way. Not to mention this strange new magical bond with a girl named Rey, who has more secrets than he could ever imagine.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18





	1. odd first meetings and premonitions

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! 
> 
> Welcome to my journey in fanfiction writing! This is the first fic that I've ever written, and I am super excited to share it with you all. 
> 
> I am fairly new to the reylo fandom. I discovered it about a year and a half ago, but I only really got into it about a year ago. I became fully committed to the fandom after reading some fics from KyloTrashForever and AttackoftheDarkCurses (they really are my inspiration for writing too). 
> 
> This fic is inspired by this song: [soldier,poet,king](%E2%80%9D)
> 
> I also made a playlist for this fic, which I will share once I clean it up a little. 
> 
> The title of this work is inspired by two choral songs by Eric Whitacre. They are both on the playlist and are beautiful songs.  
> I'm sure the translation of the title is wrong, but my friend is who taking Latin assured me that it's close enough.  
> You'll figure out that I'm a huge choral and theatre nerd pretty quickly. I'm even majoring in theatre. I eventually want to write a musical theatre/art school AU once I have more time. 
> 
> I don't know how often I will be able to update because I am currently a college student, but I will do my best to update once or twice a week. 
> 
> This work is completely unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine. 
> 
> I really hope you enjoy this! I'm pretty proud of it!

Light filtered through the branches above Ben’s head as he dozed peacefully. He had just finished a long training session with Phasma and the other knights, and he had become much more exhausted than he usually would be after some simple sparring and horse racing. Perhaps that was a sign that the days were becoming longer and hotter, as he had expected. Summer was just around the corner.

His much needed nap was interrupted by a freezing cascade of water descending upon his face. Ben shot up from his position in the grass and sputtered, his eyes widening comically and searching for the rude intruder to his peace. His eyes were met with none other than the shit eating grin of Poe Dameron and a giggling Rose Tico.

Ben’s eyes narrowed up at his friends. “I hope one or both of you are ready to explain what was so important that you had to throw a BUCKET of FREEZING WATER on me while I was sleeping very peacefully.”

Poe chuckled at Ben’s disgruntled expression and shrugged. “Just thought you’d been napping for long enough. It’s nearly time for the banquet, we wouldn't want you to be late to the queen’s birthday dinner.”

Shit. He had forgotten all about his mother’s birthday banquet that evening. Poe must’ve noticed he had been a little dumbstruck and offered him a hand. “C’mon, Solo. Let’s get you inside and dressed so you can pretend you didn’t forget.”

Rose looked at the two with an amused expression as Poe helped Ben onto his feet. “You know, Poe. Pretty soon Ben is going to be king and you’re going to get a lot of shit from the court for calling him Solo and messing with his poor majesty’s royal ass.”

Poe scoffed, “You’re one to talk. I’m not the one who stuck toads in his pillow as a birthday present last year. Or the one who talks about his royal ass all the time.” Poe sauntered over to Rose with Ben in tow, clapping his friends on the back as they made their way to the castle from the gardens. “Besides, Ben loves me too much to let any of those old bags in court get rid of me.”

At that Ben pushed Poe’s head forward lightly and laughed. “Personally, I think you both suck. I’m not going to get anything done with you two around when I’m king.”

Rose gave him a pointed look, raising her eyebrow slightly. “Your royal highness wouldn’t be able to get anything done without us there either.”

He couldn’t really argue with that. Poe and Rose, along with Hux and Phasma, had been by his side pretty much since the beginning. He and Poe had practically known each other since they were in the womb, as Poe’s mother was a close confidante of Leia. They grew up together, and once Ben ascended to the throne, Poe would be his royal advisor. It was an honor that was normally bestowed upon the highest members of court, but Been had an exception made for Poe because he had the rare gift of foresight and had premonitions of the future that were vague but accurate.

Rose had come along next. She was the daughter of a local priest who made regular visits to the palace with her father ever since Ben was young. When they were in their early adolescent years, Rose discovered that she had strong medicinal magic and was very good at brewing healing potions. She was not considered a witch, but she was extremely gifted in pharmaceutical magic. She was a couple years younger than Ben and Poe, but she constantly reminded them of the fact that she was far more mature than either of them would ever be.

Gwendoline Phasma had practically grown up in the palace. As the daughter of a nobleman, she was expected to one day marry into another noble family and carry on her father’s legacy. Gwen had other plans, however, and decided to receive training in combat and swordsmanship at the age of thirteen. Her rebelliousness paid off, as she had been the leader of the Knights of the Court of Ren, the Queen’s personal security detail, for seven years now.

Armitage Hux had joined their little band of merriment most recently. Eleven years ago, Ben had been roaming around the stables, avoiding his tutor and hiding out to the best of his ability, when he had stumbled upon the redheaded boy. He wasn’t much younger than Ben, but he was much scrawnier. The two became fast friends when Hux had yelled at Ben for knocking over the horses’ feed bucket, not realizing that Ben was the heir to the Alderaanian throne. Ben was taken aback by Hux’s boldness, but it was refreshing and amusing to him. It took Hux three more visits from Ben to realize he was the crown prince, but by that point the two had already formed a unique bond. Ben managed to convince Leia to let Hux be the royal poet and record keeper after he had heard him playing a song that he had written about a dragonslayer. He had been an essential part of Ben’s group of friends ever since.

All five members of their little troupe, Ben included of course, had been living in the palace together for the past five years. Hux and Phasma had already been living there, but at the insistence of the Queen, Rose and Poe moved in as well. She claimed it was for Ben’s benefit, as they would all be a part of his court someday and he needed strong bonds with his allies, and while that might have been true, Ben knew that Leia was fond of his friends as well.

As Ben, Rose and Poe entered the castle through the back entrance from the garden, they were met with a group of very anxious maids running around the kitchen preparing for the evening’s festivities. One of them, whom Ben believed was named Kaydel, almost ran straight into him as she sped past with a bowl of dough in her hands, not bothering to stop and say hello to the three of them. Not wanting to be in their way, Rose pushed the boys along through to the kitchen’s exit and out to the main hallway, maneuvering to avoid a few frantic maids along the way.

Once they were in the clear, Poe breathed a long and dramatic sigh of relief. “I thought I was going to get trampled in there. I saw my life flash before my eyes, and then I was frozen and couldn’t move. I seriously thought I was going to die.”

Rose rolled her eyes, “Stop being so melodramatic. It’s not attractive nor is it endearing.”

Ben chuckled in amusement and noticed a fairly frazzled looking Hux pacing the hall down near the grand ballroom. He had his fiddle in one arm and a couple dozen scrolls in the other. When Hux noticed the trio he quickly made his way over to them. “I need to have six new songs ready for the banquet tonight, Ben. SIX. I barely got through the first one. I don’t think I have any songs left in me. I want her majesty to have a good birthday, but I don’t think I can do this. I’m drowning here please help me.”

Rose frowned at the ginger man as Ben and Poe tried to calm him down and assure him it would be okay, and then she grabbed one of the scrolls from his arm right when she thought he was about to fall into full blown hysteria. She unrolled the scroll and skimmed over it briefly. “Is this one of your songs?” Hux nodded woefully. “It’s good. The lyrics are actually quite beautiful. If you just stick with this one and add on a few more verses I’m sure her majesty would love it.” She beamed up at the tall redhead and patted his shoulder as she slipped the scroll back under his arm. “No need to stress yourself out, Armie. Leia will probably appreciate one song that you’ve put a lot of thought and care into more than six songs that are underbaked. You’re talented and you write beautiful music, don’t forget that you silly man.”

Hux gaped down at the woman in front of him, his face quickly flushing red at her words of encouragement. “Uh, thanks Rose. I-uh. I appreciate the advice. You-you’re probably right.”

She smiled up at him once more and ruffled his hair before turning to Ben and Poe. “If you gentlemen will excuse me, I have to go and get ready for her majesty’s birthday banquet. I will see you all tonight.”

As she walked down the hallway towards the main stairwell, Ben and Poe gave each other a knowing look while Hux stared at her retreating form longingly.

Poe was the first to break the silence, as usual. “So, Armie huh? That’s new. I didn’t know you started using pet names with each other.” Hux snapped out of his love stricken stupor to look at Ben and Poe, his eyes widening in realization of their discovery.

“We’re just friends. I-it’s not a pet name, I promise. She just started calling me that recently, she said it’s because everyone calls me Hux and she wants to be different,” Hux stammered out. “But, I promise you. We’re just friends. She doesn’t see me like that.”

Ben frowned in concern at his friend. “Why don’t you just tell her how you feel? I have a feeling you’ll be surprised if you do. You can’t keep this bottled up forever. It’ll kill you.”

Hux sighed, dejectedly. “She already told me she likes someone. Apparently he works in the castle, but she won’t tell me who he is or what he even does. He’s probably some massive blacksmith or something who would beat the crap out of me if he even saw me talking to her. I’m just a dumb poet. What would I do, beat him with my fiddle? I don’t have a chance with Rose. I just have to accept that.”

Ben’s frown deepened. He loved his friends, but dammit they could be dense sometimes. He knew Rose liked Hux too, but he didn’t want to meddle in their relationship any further. They would figure it out eventually.

Poe, on the other hand, loved to play matchmaker, though he was rarely successful. He clapped a hand on his lovesick friend’s shoulder and grinned reassuringly at him. “Cheer up, friend! Maybe tonight you can finally take your shot and dance with her at the banquet. Everyone will be drunk anyways, so maybe you’ll find the courage to finally man up and tell her.” Poe looked over to Ben and grimaced slightly as Hux sighed once again. “Tell you what, let’s all go and get ready. Maybe a nice warm bath will take your mind off of Rose for a bit, huh?”

Hux thought for a second and nodded. “Yeah, that sounds nice. I could use a distraction. Maybe I’ll find some inspiration for this song too.”

The three of them set off to the main staircase to make their way up to their individual bed chambers. Ben’s was all the way down at the end of the hallway and up another flight of stairs, giving him some time to walk alone as his friends broke off to go to their own rooms.

It had been uncharacteristically quiet in Alderaan over the past couple of weeks. Normally, there were monsters terrorizing the villages at least twice a week, sometimes even more. It had become routine for Ben to join the Knights and slay these beasts, serving dual purpose, as it gave him opportunity to train, but he was also actively protecting his kingdom and meeting his subjects along the way. It was a good outlet for him to let out some of the pent up aggression that he had harbored ever since he was a child, but strangely enough, that fiery rage hadn’t been present since the monsters stopped coming around to the villages nearby. He wanted to find if there was a connection, but since there was no evidence trail for him to follow without the monsters’ visits, he had no way of knowing.

As Ben stepped into his bed-chamber, something felt different. The air was somehow cooler inside his room than it had been in the corridor. His hand instinctively went to the sword at his side as he glanced around the room cautiously. Suddenly, it was as if all the air had been sucked out of his lungs as he felt an extreme tingling sensation in his head. It didn’t hurt, but it was extremely strange, and he cried out slightly and squeezed his eyes shut at the discomfort.

When he finally opened his eyes, they were met with the most gorgeous creature he had ever seen. She had medium-length flowing brown hair that seemed to be waving in the wind behind her. Her eyes were a stunning mix of gold, green and chestnut, and they appeared to be glittering in the light. Her lips were plump, pink, and very soft looking, making his mind wander to some very dangerous places as he wondered what they would feel like against his own. Her skin was sunkissed and freckled, and she wore a long black dress with a slit up one side where a hint of long slender legs peaked out. She seemed to be glowing, which was fitting considering Ben thought she was an angel. He felt like an absolute caveman with the way he was staring at her, his mind drifting to places that were far too inappropriate considering she was a stranger.

She stared back at him with a similar expression of wonder, until finally she cleared her throat and demanded his attention. He blinked at her slowly, still trying to process everything that had just happened.

The strange, beautiful creature in front of him crossed her arms over her chest, another aspect of her figure that he definitely did not miss, and stared at him with a suspicious glint in her eyes. “Who are you?”

Then, without warning and before he could answer her, she disappeared without a trace.

_____

Later, as Ben was dressing for the banquet, he couldn’t help but think back to the strange dream he had earlier. It wasn’t uncommon for him to daydream like that, but it had felt so real this time. The beautiful and extremely enticing stranger from earlier had been haunting him for hours now. He was barely able to focus on getting himself ready for his mother’s birthday banquet. He nearly nicked himself multiple times as he shaved, and he had put his trousers on backwards twice.

None of his daydreams had ever felt so tangible. He felt like if he had been bold enough to reach out and touch the woman from his dream, she would have felt soft and warm in his arms. Nevertheless, there was little he could do but write it off as another strange daydream since she had disappeared so quickly. That was the only logical answer. Even in a world full of magic, things like that didn’t just happen.

Somehow, Ben managed to get himself dressed (with his trousers on the right way, mind you) before Poe and Hux came knocking on his door. He left his room to meet his friends, and the three of them bounded down to join Rose and Phasma before they joined in on the festivities downstairs.

Ben was never a huge fan of banquets or feasts. It was his least favorite part of being a royal, if he was being quite honest with himself. His friends at least made them tolerable. At Ben’s birthday ball this year, as a 25th birthday present, Poe had somehow convinced the Knights to hijack the live entertainment and play the music themselves. It wasn’t very good, even by the worst standards, as none of the Knights were trained musicians, but it was extremely entertaining to see how appalled all the members of court were. Ben’s father was the only member of court to find the little stunt amusing.

After that, among some other minor jokes pulled here and there, Leia had increased the security detail for all of the events at the palace significantly and had warned all of Ben’s friends, but mostly Poe, that any more tricks would lead to severe punishment.

That meant that tonight would go off without any form of major entertainment from his ridiculous friends, but having them there with him still helped make his time more enjoyable. Parties and banquets went by faster when he had them around to distract him from how boring and predictable the members of court were, especially in social situations.

This was another aspect of being heir to the throne that Ben hated. The members of court were all stuffy and old, and all any of them ever cared about was how to rise in the ranks and gain the favor of the queen or the crown prince. Dealing with them was exhausting, and he wasn’t sure how he would manage to do it as gracefully as his mother had been able to all this time.

Leia had insisted that it just took practice, and that banquets like this were good opportunities for him to improve his people skills. Ben, along with his father, thought that it was a royal load of crap.

The little troupe moved down the stairs as one unit, laughing and joking with one another the whole way and finally entered the main dining hall where most of the guests had already arrived and were seated around the long dining table at the center of the room. Leia sat at the head of the table. Han was seated at her left-hand side and an open seat was left for Ben on her right. There were four open seats next to that one, left open for his friends. As they took their seats, Leia stood to give the opening speech. As it ended, the serving staff was signaled to enter with the food, and the large party of guests began eating.

After a bountiful feast full of all of Leia’s favorite foods, the guests were signaled to move to the grand ballroom which was connected to the dining room through a large set of double doors.

This was probably Ben’s least favorite part. Despite being born with two left feet, He was still expected to dance with as many of the guests as possible. This included the occasional bachelorette, courtesy of his mother trying to find him a wife and inviting any eligible noblewoman she could find to the royal parties.

He had been dancing with a particularly snobbish girl when Phasma came over and cut in. The girl he had been dancing with looked offended at the intrusion and brushed them off rudely as she stomped away. Ben sighed gratefully and Phasma chuckled. “Thank you for that. I was scared she was going to bite my head off if I asked her if we could stop. I’ve dealt with some nightmares, but she was...something else.”

Phasma nodded as they continued to dance. “I could tell, you were practically screaming out for help.”

The night continued on without much fanfare after that, and eventually, it came time for Hux to present his song for Leia. He was visibly shaking as he stepped up to the musician stage on the Eastern side of the ballroom. As he looked to the crowd, he found his friends all giving him looks of encouragement as they stood together near the front of the crowd. Hux took a deep breath and began to play.

Ben was entranced by his friend’s song. Hux was extremely talented, Ben had always known that, but he had never been so affected by a piece of music before. As Hux began to sing, Ben almost felt like he was floating above the ground. It was as if the music had literally begun to carry him through the air. It transcended magic and defied space and time. Ben wasn’t even sure what Hux was singing at that point, all he knew was it was the most incredible experience he had ever had whilst listening to a piece of music.

While the ending notes of the song played, and as Ben began to come back to his senses, a gust of wind flung the main doors of the ballroom open and blew all of the candles out. Everyone began panicking and muttering in confusion as a thick mist slowly crept into the ballroom from outside. Immediately, all of the knights had their swords drawn and were ready to attack the intruder.

A glowing woman with white eyes entered the room slowly. Her hair was long and dark, and it flowed around her like a cape. Her dress was a deep emerald green and was tattered and frayed towards the bottom. On a second examination, Ben noticed she was quite literally floating off the ground and making her way to the front of the ballroom without ever touching her feet to the floor. The knights advanced on her to try and subdue her, but with a flick of her wrist she flung all of their swords out of their hands and onto the ground. Simultaneously, all of the doors and windows closed and locked. Now everyone in the room was truly panicking, afraid of what she would do next, and unable to stop her.

Despite the panicked chatter and screams, the woman’s voice was heard loud and clear, cutting through the crowd of voices like a hot knife through butter. “Silence! I am not here to harm you.” At that, the room fell so eerily quiet that not even the breath of the guests could be heard. “My name is Maz Kanata. I am the original oracle of Naboo, the one that rulers and heroes have come to for answers for centuries. I come with a message. Which one of you is Benjamin Organa Solo?”

Ben was frozen in fear, unable to move and show himself to the oracle. He apparently didn’t have to, however, as the one who called herself Maz eyed the room and locked her gaze onto him almost immediately. “Benjamin Organa Solo. Crown Prince of Alderaan. Son of Leia Organa and Han Solo, Queen and Scoundrel. Grandson of Anakin Skywalker, Saber of the North, and Padme Amidala, Crown Jewel of the East. You were born of fire and ice, destined for greatness. It is time for you to fulfill the prophecy of your lineage.”

The oracle swiped her hand once more and forced him through the crowd to stand in front of her. She cast her gaze over the crowd and addressed the entire room, “Listen well, as I do not have much time. There is a great evil in this land. It has tormented Alderaan and the other six kingdoms of this realm for centuries, and it is now growing too quickly for normal witches and wizards to contain.”

The room fell into quiet murmuring once more, and Maz bellowed out once again. “Silence! You foolish mortals, now is not the time for senseless chattering. Listen to me closely.” She now turned her attention directly at Ben. “You, Benjamin Solo, were chosen by the heavens at birth to defeat this evil. You must begin your quest to find this evil immediately. It has been in hiding, living in secret. No living soul on this plane of existence knows where it lies. You must track it down and conquer the evil before it conquers the entire world. You have a great power deep within you. Unlock it, find the evil, and bring the world to balance once and for all. Remember to trust your instincts and allow the ones you love to guide you to the light. Good luck, and remember. Those who lose their way can always be found again.”

With her final words, she gave one more flick of her wrist and vanished from sight. All of the doors and windows were unlocked again, and all of the candles were lit. It was as if nothing strange had occurred at all. The room fell into chaos immediately afterward, everyone in a panic over what the oracle had said. It took several minutes for Leia and Han to get everyone to calm down, and eventually, the knights were asked to escort everyone out of the castle, except for Ben and his four very dazed friends.

Leia looked at her son and husband and sighed. “All of you, meet me in the throne room in ten minutes. We have a lot to discuss.” Han followed her out of the room to the throne room as the five friends stood in shock and disbelief.

Poe was the first to break the silence. “Well, that sure was an interesting way to end the night.”

Phasma scoffed, “If by ‘interesting’ you mean ‘batshit insane’, then yes I agree with you.”

Rose looked up at Ben, who was still in shock, with a worried expression. “Ben, are you okay? I know that was a lot to take in. I’m still not sure if I’ve processed it all and it has nothing to do with me.”

Ben snapped out of his daze and glanced around at his friends. “Um, I don’t really know. I’m not sure how I’m supposed to react to all of this.”

Hux patted his shoulder comfortingly, “No one’s supposed to know how to react to these kinds of things. It’s not like there’s a book on what to do when you’ve suddenly been told that you’re the chosen one.”

Rose joined in on the pseudo group hug. “Hux is right. We’ll help you through this, Ben.”

Phasma was the next one to join their little gesture of comradery, “That’s right. Whatever you have to do, we’re going to help you. That’s what we’re here for. You couldn’t get rid of us if you tried.”

Poe smiled and smushed all four of them into a real group hug. “Aw, you guys. I’ve never seen all of us get so sentimental like this. You know what I always say, teamwork makes the dreamwork.”

Ben laughed as all of his friends squished around him. “I’ve never heard you say that in your whole life, Poe. But...thank you, guys. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

_____

The five of them entered the throne room not too long after that, and they were met with the sight of a very tired looking Leia and Han whispering to each other nervously.

As soon as Leia saw her son and his friends enter, she walked over to Ben and pulled him in for a hug. She didn’t say anything, she didn’t really need to. She was never this informal in court, and Ben was never one to crave physical affection from his parents, but her warmth was a comfort that he needed at that moment. As she pulled away, she smiled up at him lovingly and brushed a lock of hair out of his face. “My sweet, sweet boy. We have a lot to talk about.”

She led the way to the two thrones at the end of the room and sat in hers, by Han. Ben and his friend kneeled in front of her, the nervous energy in the room so thick you could taste it. “I want to start off by saying that no matter what the oracle said, you still have a choice here, Ben. Destiny be damned, if you don’t want to do this you don’t have to.”

Ben pondered on her words for a moment. He couldn’t deny that he was terrified of the oracle’s premonitions, but deep down he knew that there was a reason that he was chosen for this. He didn’t know why yet, or what his fate would be at the end of this journey, but he knew that no matter what happened to him, he would do anything to protect the ones he loved.

“I want to go, mother. I want to take on this quest and slay this evil. I want to make sure no one in our kingdom or any others ever gets hurt again.” Ben saw the worry on his mother’s face at his words, but he knew that this was the right decision. He had to see this destiny through to the end.

Leia rose from her seated position to stand before them. “Very well, then. Poe, Gwendoline, Rose, Armitage. You are all to accompany Ben on this quest. Protect him, train with him, fight with him. The five of you are a new hope for Alderaan, but beyond that, you are the only hope for the world. You will leave in the morning. I will have the servants pack sacks with food and supplies for you all, and the stablehands will prepare the horses. You four may leave for your chambers to get rest. Ben, your father and I need to speak with you privately before you go.”

His friends followed the queen's instructions without any further question, leaving Ben, Leia, and Han alone together for the first time in a long time.

Leia smiled down at her son, but the worry was still present in her face, and she gestured for him to rise. She took his hands in hers and rubbed the backs of his palms soothingly. “My brave little prince. You’ve never backed away from a fight before, I suppose this time is no different.”

Han stood and joined the two of them, pulling his son and wife into a long embrace. They remained in a tight hold together until tears began to fall from Leia’s eyes. Ben broke from the embrace to pull his mother into his arms. “I’m going to come back, mother. I promise you I will be okay. I’m going to survive this, but more importantly, I’m going to make sure the kingdom is safe from now on. There’s no need to cry.”

Leia pulled back from her son to look at his face. She had never been more proud of her son while also being terrified for him at the same time. “You had better keep that promise. I won’t ever forgive you if you break it.”

Han smirked at the two of them and clapped Ben on the back. “He’s my son. I have no doubt that he’ll do just fine out there.”

Leia let out a breathy laugh at her husband’s bravado and took a deep breath to calm herself down. “Before you go, there is something I need to give you.” She gestured to Han, who stepped behind her throne and pulled out a small wooden box with a lock on the front. Ben stared at the box curiously as Leia pulled a key from a chain around her neck, hidden underneath her bodice, and unlocked the box. She pulled out a small, blue, glowing stone on a silver chain. “This amulet contains all of the magic from the great sorcerer Kylo Ren. It has been passed down through generations of my family, and now it is yours. It will help you to unlock your powers, though it will not do it for you. That, you will have to figure out on your own. I will that all the magical scrolls we have in our possession will be packed along with the supplies you need for your journey.”

Ben carefully took the amulet from his mother's hands and clasped it around his neck. He glanced down at his parents one last time before pulling them in for an embrace. “I promise you both, I will succeed on this journey, and I will come back to you.”

The three of them took a few more moments to relish in their time together, and then Ben left to make his way to his chambers. He became lost in his thoughts during the trek to his room. The day had been filled with more excitement and surprises than he had ever experienced in his twenty-five years of life. Despite the looming quest ahead of him, his thoughts kept drifting back to the woman from his daydream. He felt a strange sort of connection to her without even knowing her name. As he dressed for sleep and fell back into his bed, he couldn’t take his mind off of her. As his eyes drifted closed, he continued to think of her until he fell into a deep sleep. He would need plenty of rest before embarking on the journey ahead of him.


	2. Darkness Reborn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was scared to move towards the throne, afraid that being near it would somehow bring him back to life. On the other hand, she was afraid of leaving this room, because that would make everything more real. She would have to face the reality that she was now the master of the castle and the one tasked with taking over the seven kingdoms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Major Character Death. Palpatine dies, but I didn't want to put it in the warnings for the fic because it's not a major theme of the fic. 
> 
> I wanted to get this done and out earlier but unfortunately, school is getting busier now that finals are almost here. Once my finals are over I'll be able to update more frequently. 
> 
> Also the playlist is going to be done eventually, but again, school is a nightmare right now. 
> 
> The song link didn't work last time so I'm going to try again.  
> soldierpoetking
> 
> If it doesn't work this time, the song is "Solider, Poet, King" by The Oh Hellos. 
> 
> This chapter is a little shorter than the last one, but I'll try to make the next one longer to make up for it.

There were three instances in Rey’s life so far where she knew she could never turn back, where she had surpassed the point of no return. This was one of those moments. 

The world was deathly silent for about five seconds after she killed her master. Small sparks continued to float down from her wand as she stood over the body of Palpatine. It had taken an incredible amount of magic to kill him, even though she had been slowly weakening him for weeks now. 

Finn and Mitaka continued to shout at her in shock, but she couldn’t hear them. Her focus was entirely set on the lifeless body of her former master. He was limp and lifeless against the stonewall in front of her. His eyes were always cold when he was alive, but now they were as dead as she had felt on the inside for all twenty of her years now. She thought that killing her master would spark something inside of her, some kind of fire to burn and make her feel something, anything, for once. Instead, it just made her feel colder, like somehow his icey essence had infused itself into her. 

Eventually, her two friends snapped her out of her trance. Finn had his hands around her shoulders, blocking Palpatine from her view, his face visibly distraught, and Mitaka stood at her side, his features in a similar array of shock. 

“Rey!” Finn shook her gently as he shouted at her. “Rey, what the hell was that?! That wasn’t part of the plan!” 

Mitaka said nothing, staying quiet as usual, but he lifted his hand from its dormant placement at his side to place it over Finn’s right hand. Rey recognized that he meant it as a comforting gesture, but there wasn’t much either of them could do to comfort her right now. She had just done the unspeakable, and she knew she would pay for it. 

“I’m sorry…” she lifted her gaze to meet Finn’s worried eyes as she tried to make sense of everything. “I just-I couldn’t stand there anymore and watch him hurt you two. It wasn’t fair. You didn’t do anything wrong, you never have.” In her head, she had meant to sound more comforting. Softer. But, in her frustration and years of pent up rage against her former master, the words came out more aggressively than she had intended. 

Then again, most things she did turned out more aggressively than she intended. She wasn’t usually capable of being soft or gentle. Palpatine had always said it was just in her nature, and after years of him drilling those sentiments into her brain, she had started believing that they were true. She had been resolved to a life of loneliness and heartache from a young age because of it. Her hard exterior made it impossible for people to love her, and even if they did she would never be deserving of it. It was what she had been taught, and nothing could change it. 

Finn sighed heavily and pulled her in for a hug. She allowed herself this one moment of warmth. Just this once. It was rare that she ever felt physical comfort like this. 

“Rey, you could’ve been killed.” Finn pulled back to give her a hard look and he sighed yet again. “I know we’ve been poisoning him slowly for weeks now, but it was still dangerous. He is an extremely powerful sorcerer.” 

Mitaka piped up softly, “Was.” 

Finn turned to look at him curiously, “What?” 

“Palpatine was an extremely powerful sorcerer. He isn’t anymore because, well, you know.” When he noticed that neither Finn nor Rey was amused by his interjection, Mitaka sunk back into his small, quiet shell. 

Finn rolled his eyes and looked back at Rey. “Point is, that was reckless. I really do love you for trying to protect us, but please don’t risk your own safety for us again. Okay?” 

Rey scowled softly, knowing that she would have done it all over again if only to protect the only two people who seemed to care about her. “ Fine.” 

Finn pulled away from her and turned around, frowning down at the dead body of the once great Palpatine. “Well, what are you going to do now?” 

She stared down at her former master and came to a quick resolution in her mind. “I’m going to take over his position. I’m going to take the seven kingdoms.” 

Finn spun around to her in shock. “What? Are you serious? Why?” He looked at her in disbelief. “Why can’t we just leave them alone and just live here in peace, for once?” 

Rey’s expression grew colder, the memories of her past flooding her mind and tormenting her once again. “The kingdoms are constantly at war with one another. They are failing at protecting their own citizens. They allow monsters to invade and kill people daily.” She scoffed in annoyance. “The rulers sit on their thrones and just let their people suffer and starve.” 

She turned to look down the hall towards the main doors of the castle, scowling at the world outside. “They need a new order. They need someone to unite them all and bring peace once and for all. No more war or famine or unnecessary suffering.” 

She signaled to Mitaka to help her lift Palpatine’s body and he quickly scurried over to assist her. “Palpatine was wrong about many things. He was an evil man and a horrible master, but in this regard, I agreed with him. Someone needs to step in, and now that person is me.” 

They began to carry him through one of the back entrances of the castle to the pit outside. At the bottom of this pit, there was a pack of wild, ravenous dogs that Palpatine had captured years ago, and now they served as a disposal method. It was where Palpatine had thrown anyone who inconvenienced him, and ironically it was now to be his final burial ground. 

Finn followed them out to the pit, still trying to reason with Rey. “While I have no doubt that you would be a better ruler than Palpatine, are you really sure this is the way you want to go?” 

“This is the only way, Finn.” Rey sighed. She knew no other alternative. It was what she had been taught, but more importantly, it was what she had observed first hand. 

Rey and Mitaka tossed Palpatine’s body into the pit. In a way, it felt like she had cleansed herself from his evil, but she still didn’t feel whole or completely clean. Something was still lurking in the deepest parts of her mind, she just wasn’t sure what yet. 

The three of them took a second to bask in the clarity that Palpatine’s absence had brought. They were finally free from his endless abuse and torture. Finn and Mitaka no longer served him, and Rey was no longer forced to apprentice him. They could choose their own destinies from this day forward. 

Rey had made the decision to rule over Mount Mustafar differently than Palpatine had from the moment she had formulated her plan to kill him. She knew what she had to do, but she wasn’t sure if she was capable of doing it. 

“Finn, Dopheld. You both know how much you mean to me. You are my only friends. I have watched you both suffer for years now, and I couldn’t bear it. So now, I’m giving you a choice.” She sighed and looked up at both of her friends. “I won’t force you to stay here and fight for me. I plan on continuing to build this empire so that I can bring peace and order, but you two don’t have to be a part of that if you don't wish to be.” 

Tears began welling up in her eyes at the thought of them leaving her, but no matter how difficult it was she knew it was the right thing to do. “I’m offering you freedom. If you choose to leave now it won’t change how much I care for you, but if you stay I can promise that you will never be hurt by anyone ever again. I’ll make sure of it.”   
Mitaka’s response was immediate. “Of course I’ll stay, Rey. There’s no one in the world I would rather fight alongside. I’m sticking through to the end.” 

The corners of Rey’s lips drew up slightly, not quite a smile, but she never really smiled so it was the best she could do. “What about you, Finn?” 

Finn gave her a wary look, like he wanted to join her but there was something holding him back. “I… I don’t know, Rey. You know I love you, and I always will, but…I’m not sure if I’m okay with taking over the kingdoms. I don’t want people to get hurt unnecessarily.” 

Before Rey could feel too defeated, Finn grabbed her hand. “Just... give me a day to think about it. I’m not saying no yet, but I need time to think.” 

Rey nodded solemnly and Finn let her hand go. Rey began walking back into the castle, and Mitaka followed close behind, leaving Finn standing near the pit, lost in his thoughts. He looked back into the pit, and then lifted his head up to stare at the sky. It was midday, and the sun was shining brilliantly over the top of the mountain range. 

The landscape was truly beautiful. It was a shame that something so magnificent held such a dark evil at the center of it. 

“Finn, are you coming?” Rey and Mitaka had noticed that he wasn’t following them and she called for him. 

He glanced back at his friends and nodded. “I’ll be in soon, just give me a few minutes. I haven’t been outside during the day like this in a while.” 

They nodded, seeming to understand his need for fresh air. The castle was extremely suffocating at times. 

A great change was looming ahead of them, and Finn wasn’t sure if it would be a great triumph for the world or the beginning of the end. 

_____________

The throne room of Palpatine had always been a place that people feared. Being called to the throne always ended in punishment or praise, and you never knew which treatment you would receive. 

Rey stood at the center of the long dark room and stared at her former master’s throne at the end of the room. The throne itself was crafted from dark metal. The crown of the throne was jagged and asymmetrical. It almost looked like the peaks of the mountains of Mustafar. The throne was perched on top of a series of steps; Palpatine had always said that the higher you stood above your enemies, the more powerful you would become. Rey knew it was just an intimidation tactic, but it always seemed to work for him. 

She was scared to move towards the throne, afraid that being near it would somehow bring him back to life. On the other hand, she was afraid of leaving this room, because that would make everything more real. She would have to face the reality that she was now the master of the castle and the one tasked with taking over the seven kingdoms. 

Before she could dwell on it much longer, a strange tingling sensation overtook her body, and her mind felt fuzzy. Suddenly, a man was standing in front of her. She was taken aback by how large he was. He was well over six feet tall, and he was chiseled and firm from what she could tell. His eyes were a warm amber color, and his hair was long and dark. It looked soft, and she had a strange urge to run her fingers through it. He had a strong face, but she was mostly drawn to his lips. They were full and soft-looking, and they complimented the rest of his features beautifully. What gave this man the right to be so alluring? 

She was too shocked to draw her wand or find a way to defend herself against him, and she knew that later she would chastise herself for being so careless and foolish, but in the moment she was too intrigued by this large Adonis of a man.

Her lips parted slightly as she stared into his eyes with curiosity, and softly she murmured, “Who are you?” 

But he disappeared as quickly as he had come, and she was left alone once again. She was always so alone. At this point, it shouldn’t have surprised her, but somehow she felt emptier with this stranger’s absence. 

Before she could be left with her melancholic thoughts for too long, Mitaka came in and interrupted her. “Rey? The council wants to meet with you to discuss your plans for taking the kingdoms. Are you ready?” 

She snapped out of her daze and turned back to face him, nodding and putting on the best facade of strength that she could. 

Her thoughts couldn’t be consumed by the dark and brooding stranger. She had important duties to attend to. 

As she walked out of the throne room and down the corridor leading to the council’s planning room, she continued to push thoughts of earlier away. She could focus on her goals and ignore the fluttering of her heart. She had to, there was no other choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for joining me on this little journey of mine! 
> 
> Follow me on Twitter! I follow back :) twitter

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for joining me on this little journey of mine! 
> 
> Follow me on Twitter! I follow back :) twitter


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